Method of filling teeth and dental matrix for use therein



D. E. TAYLORV METHOD OF FILLI'NG TEETH AND DENTAL MATRIX FOR USETHEREIN.

v APFFICATIGN FILED JAN-19,1917- 1379,4189.

Patented May 24, 1921.

UNTTED STATES rarest entice.

DANIEL EVERETT TAYLOR, OF WILLIMANTIC, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE L. D, CAULK 00., 0F MILFORD, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METHOD OF FILLING TEETH. AN D DENTAL MATRIX. FOR USE THEREIN.

intense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 192?...

Application filed January 19, 1917. Serial No. 143,378.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known: that I, DANIEL EVERETT TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at W'illimantic, in the county of Windham and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Filling Teeth and Dental Matrices for Use Therein, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to improvements in a method of filling teeth and dental matrices for use therein, the method and matrix being especially adapted for use where the cavity to be filled is located at one side of the tooth;

In recent years it has become the practice, in those cases where the filling is exposed to view, to use as the filling agent a material variously known as porcelain cement or synthetic cement. This material possesses the advantages of being very hard and of being made in hues or shades which will exact-1y correspond with the hues or shades of the teeth whereby the presence of the filling will not be noticeable except on expert examination.

In filling a cavity at the side of a tooth with synthetic cement practitioners have frequently used a matrix consisting of a strip of celluloid in order to avoid discoloration of the cement; but the use of such a matrix is attended with the disadvantageous condition of an excess of the filling material accumulating between the base portion of the matrix and the rear or inner face of the tooth. The filling material in question sets very rapidly, and, as stated, when set, is very hard. Consequently, the removal of the excess of this material from the rear or inner face of the tooth, unless made with the greatest care, very often occasions the breaking down of the walls of-the cavity which is specially prepared for the reception of the filling.

It is to the overcoming of these disadvantages that the present invention is addressed; and the invention consists more particularly in the provision of a matrix in the form of a strip which may be burnished or worked whereby it will exactly conform to the contour of the rear or inner face of the tooth to be filled and which will have no deleterious effect, such as that of discoloration, upon the synthetic cement which, it should be noted is a material which requires great care in its handling and preparation; in the combination with a matrix which, as positioned adjacent the tooth to be filled, is to be held under tension, of an improved sprlng clamp having a novel and advantageous relation to said matrix for tensioning the same; and in the method of filling teeth lnvolving the use of a matrix of the characterstated and which consists generally in positioning the said matrix against the tooth to be filled, burnishing it in place and applying the filling material.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and the manner of using the same. In these drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing Elie matrix in position for the filling operaion;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations of the two parts of which the matrix is constituted in the embodiment disclosed.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

As an example of the use of the improved matrix, the drawings show the same as applied to one of the lower incisor teeth A having at one side thereof a cavity B.

In the embodiment disclosed the matrix consists of two parts, viz: a fiat, thin. flexible strip 1 of copper or equivalent malleable metal and a flat, thin, flexible strip 2 of celluloid or material which will be the equiva lent thereof for the specific purposes in view. The matrix strips may be of any suitable shape for the work in hand but, as shown, and for the purpose of filling lower incisor teeth, they have a boomerang shape and are provided with central widened portions 8 and 4:, respectively which provide the matrix base.

After the cavity of the tooth has been prepared for the reception of the filling material, the matrix is fitted in relation to the tooth to be filled, the central base 3+4: thereof being disposed adjacent the rear or inner face of the tooth and the end portions of the matrix being inserted through the space between the tooth to be filled and the teeth at the sides thereof and extended for wardly. The celluloid strip 2 immediately adjoins and contacts with the tooth to be filled while the malleable or copper strip 3 is disposed behind or under the celluloid strip. When the matrix has been placed position about the tooth in the manner just described, a spring clamp 5 is applied for the purpose of securely holding the matrix against displacement. The clamp 5 has a U-shape and its legs 6 tend to spring outward. The said legs are provided at their upper ends with outward lateral projections 7' which are suitably pointed and the copper matrix strip 1 has at its ends openings 8 through which the projections 7 are engaged, as shown in Fig. 1. The forwardly projecting portions of the celluloid strip 2 are left free. The outward pressure of the leg 6 on the ends of the matrix strip 1 tends to hold the matrix securely in position and to pull the base thereof against the tooth, as will be obvious. When the spring clamp 5 has been fitted to the matrix, as just described, a burnishing or equivalent implement is applied to the rear face of the central portion 3 of'the copper strip 1; and by means of such instrument the base 34 of the matrix is burnished and caused to conform to the contour of the rear face of the tooth to be filled. The incisor teeth have a sort of convexity in their rear faces and the burnishing of the matrix base 3+4: causes said base to exactly conform to such convexity with the result that the celluloid part of the matrix lies in uniform contact with the rear face of the tooth, throughout the extent of such face. This result is impossible ofpractical attainment with a ma trix composed wholly of celluloid, as in the ordinary practice.

The tooth is now ready to be filled; and

in filling the tooth the portion of the celluloid strip 2 which adjoins the cavity B forms a temporary but unyielding wall for said cavity and protects the filling material against the discoloration which might otherwise be incident to the provision of the copper strip. The filling material C is placed and tamped in the cavity in the usual way. Owing to the uniform contact of the celluloid strip with the rear face of the tooth, there will be no space between the tooth and the matrix wherein any appreciable excess of filling material can find lodgment.

After the tooth has been filled, the spring clamp 5 is disengaged from the strip 1 and the matrix is removed, at which time the filling will be flush with the rear face of the tooth but there will be no accumulation of filling material on such face outside of the cavity. During the filling of the tooth the clamp 5 hangs downward from the mouth and owing to its U-shape presents no obstruction which will hamper or inconvenience the filling operation.

I claim 1. A dental matrix of the character described comprising companion thin flexible strips of malleable metal and cement-protecting material, said strips being fitted against one another whereby the cement-protecting strip may be placed against the tooth to be filled to form a temporary wall of the cavity and the malleable strip may be burnished to cause the companion strip unifprmly to contact the adjacent tooth surace. r

2. A dental matrix of the character described, comprising companion thin flexible strips of copper and celluloid fitted against one another whereby, when the celluloid strip is placed'against the tooth to be filled to form a temporary wall of the cavity, the copper strip may be burnished to cause the celluloid strip uniformly to contact the adjacent tooth surface.

3. The combination of a dental -matrix which includes a strip of flexible material whose central portion may be positioned against the back of the tooth to be filled and whose end portions may be passed forward through spaces between said tooth and the adjacent teeth, said end portions having openings, and a U-shaped spring clamp whose legs tend to spring relatively outward and have terminal projections for. engage- 105 ment through said openings, said clampdepending from the end portions of said strip and maintaining said strip under tension.

4. The method of filling teeth which consists in positioning adjacent the tooth to be 110 filled a matrix in the form'of a stripand which is malleable and also will not cause discoloration of the filling material, in burnishing said matrix to cause it to uniformly contact the adjacentsurface of the tooth 115 to be filled, and then, while holding the matrix under tension, packing the filling in the tooth cavity.

5. The method of filling teeth which-consists in positioning a strip of celluloid ad- 120 j acent the tooth to be filled and in positioning a strip of malleable metal against the celluloid strip, in burnishing the malleable strip, thereby to cause the celluloid strip uniformly to contact the adjacent surface 125 of the tooth to be filled, and then, while holding the malleable strip under tension, packing the filling material in the tooth cavity. I

6. .The method of filling teeth which con- 130 sists in positioning a celluloid strip adja- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set cent the tooth to be filled and in positioning my hand in presence of two subscribing 10) a strip of malleable metal against the cellu- Witnesses.

loid strip, in burnishing the malleable strip DANIEL EVERETT TAYLOR. thereby to cause the malleable strlp umformly to contact the adjacent surface of Witnesses: the tooth to be filled and then in packing H. C. LATHROP,

the filling material in the tooth cavity. H. D. POLLARD. 

